Most existing methods for learning to play a musical instrument are music theory orientated, meaning that the fundamentals of the theory of music are learnt before one learns to play a musical piece on the musical instrument. Learning the fundamentals of the theory of music may involve learning how to read traditional music scores, which set out the musical notes to be played. In these traditional learning methods, understanding how various musical notations carry different information on their respective pitch, timing and duration is essential for a music learner to be able to play a musical piece.
Those who wish to learn to play a particular song or songs may however find it time consuming and be discouraged by the need to first learn the rules of reading traditional music scores. Furthermore, even after learning the rules of how to read traditional music scores once, some may find it difficult to recall the various rules after an extended period of time without frequent or regular practicing.